I disagree. Not so much the VAT itself, but any tax which is built into the price. It's too easy for pols to hide their scams.
The downside as you mention is that one often forgets to add the sales tax to the displayed price, with sometimes awkward consequences.
One thing I would like to see is a law mandating the tax component of EVERYTHING you buy -- "built-in" or not -- shown on the receipt or included in the transaction record. We already do this with sales taxes.
http://taxoscopy.blogspot.com/

...check the premises upon which you based your expectations.
The premise here under question is that changing an officeholder, or even which party holds power, will change policy.
That's like saying the way to un-electrocute yourself is to reverse polarity and try again -- especially when the power is AC.
Maybe an even greater error in our reasoning lies in our belief that government acts as the guarantor of rights.
Rights have no meaning without power. To expect any government to respect a right when it alone has the power to protect or destroy such a thing is foolish -- even when it would seem in the government's interest to protect a right.
Only we can protect ourselves in the end.
And we can do it by committing ourselves to stop empowering government.
Stop doing things that help fund government through taxes. You don't have to starve yourself, but do you REALLY need that new gadget that pays government a certain percentage in sales taxes?
Stop using things that government owns or controls. You don't have to become the next Ted Kaczynski, but maybe you don't need to keep more than a minimum balance in your bank.
No one should think that my suggestions will work miracles or be painless -- they very well could have the opposite result. But taking the path of least resistance, i.e. writing our congressman or voting, hasn't worked very well either, has it?

Problem solved.

> In a hundred years, I promise you it won't matter one whit. Unless you're John Connor...

...must control...urge to make...British food joke...

...that companies will or at least should reward.

If I were managing an innovation program, I wouldn't accept anonymous suggestions. I want to know whose idea it is so I can offer them a shot at managing its' implementation. I want someone who can see the idea through to the end.

This stipulation doesn't preclude humble improvements to existing tools or processes. In fact, the best innovators probably already use their suggestions.

I feel certain suitable reward can be given to those who would take up my offer.

Ah, the smell of a freshly-printed management how-to book...I'm feeling the rush...

OTOH, if the suggestion is REALLY good and the suggestor is a consummate jackass or lacks visible teeth, manage the project yourself, let your nephew / mistress / factotum run interference, and *maybe* a small cash payment to the suggestor would work better.

But I think great ideas only come from people willing to champion them, who can stand subjecting them to criticism, and who can change them for a better idea is it comes along.

In other words, let's blacken the sky with project managers!!!

In fact a precondition for any government job should be DNA submission. Considering the fact that many government agencies have substantial criminal infiltration (both organic and intentionally-planted), we should take the time to gather information to help us fight the most nefarious of criminals -- those that would pose as our protectors.

Get our power from any supplier, the fridges could shop for the best price on a daily or even hourly basis.

es ist fur die kindern!!!

From my experience: The locals in countries where I have visited and worked basically put Americans into three groups --
1) Those who don't try to fit into the culture = Ugly Americans
2) Those who try to fit into the culture = spies
3) Those who obviously have lots of money = spouses or sources of ransom
That's my 10^100 Zimbabwean dollars...